DYNASTYBlake strangling Alexis; Sammy Jo and Amanda drowning each other; Claudia setting fire to a hotel. Heavy-handed? Heavens, no, it's just a typical DYNASTY cliff-hanger. Melodramatic to the max, this show is a parody of itself. Nearly every sledgehammer scene climaxes with someone being threatened, followed by someone else stalking out. For fun, the writers throw in subtle soul-searching mud wrestling.

The only characters who never do nasty things are Steven and Krystle, DYNASTY's designated victims. In their little corner of Denver, maximum melodrama comes from seeing them suffer. If Steven and Krystle had any sense, they'd grab Danny and Christina and go off to live together in a quite little community like Knots Landing. But hey, this is DYNASTY, or as it could also be titled, "50 Ways To Threaten Your Family."